Archive for March 9th, 2010

Virtual Boy Wario Land (1995) is one of Kazumi Totaka’s ‘forgotten soundtracks’ for the ill-fated Virtual Boy. Totaka is famous for his ‘song‘ which is hidden in every single game he’s created. The “Level 7” theme is interesting for its references to Ravel’s “Bolero”, one of the first compositions of the modern era. Though it lacks the prestige and prowess of the original, this nod to the classic seems very fitting within Wario Land, though it obviously lacks the virtuosity of the original. Not exactly original, but certainly demonstrates influence of classical music.

Because Level 7 is the penultimate stage of the game (only a boss fight remains), the Bolero-esque theme fits this build to the finale. The fiery, trap-filled temple challenges Wario’s puzzle-solving skills while the rondo builds in the background.

The Virtual Boy has a sound system that’s a bit of a step up from the Game Boy. However, the system failed utterly, and so aside from games like Galactic Pinball, there’s really no way we can get a sense of the system’s capabilities.

Edit: I know the Virtual Boy gets a lot of crap, but Virtual Boy Wario Land is actually a pretty cool game. The 3D effects produced by the Virtual Boy are more than just a gimmick – I think they help with immersion (and plus they look very cool). Gameplay integrating foreground and background is also a lot of fun and quite clever. It’s really something you have to see, and the renewed interest in 3D means the VB deserves another not.